Social media has brought opportunities for everyday people to showcase their talents and provide information in different ways. Some do it with videos,
others with photos and text.

Another recent phenomenon, one especially helpful in health care communication efforts, has been the rise of infographics.

Infographics serve purposes that make them very useful for Web 2.0. For one, people’s attention spans are very limited. If they don’t find something
visually appealing even if the content is great, there is a good chance they will pass right over it.

Humans are, by nature, visual learners; infographics can help you and your health care organization stand out from the crowd. They provide a visual
representation of information and research that has a high ability of getting noticed and understood. They provide this content using color graphics, branding, and
typography in a way that can be easily understood.

With the popularity of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, infographics can be shared, include backlinks (which attract search
engines), and go viral. More important, they can become a powerful marketing tool.

Creating infographics isn’t always so simple. Good work takes time, and many hours of research, planning, and illustration are involved in making them
effective. You don’t have to be proficient in Photoshop or know a great designer to create one. Tools like Piktochart
and Visual.ly can help give your data a unique look to help you stand out from the crowd.

Infographics have come a long way over the past years, and their popularity is soaring. As a marketing tool, they can help present you and your business as
an authority in your field and an educational resource.